BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
MALAITA Provincial Magistrate Court has lauded the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) for their presence despite their condition to provide policing work for the communities of Pelau and Luaniua in the Malaita Outer Islands (MOI).
First Class Magistrate who is manning the provincial magistrate, Ishmael Kekou made the statement after his team returned from MOI on a court circuit last week.
He said the presence of the RSIPF at the Pelau police post is supportive to governing stakeholders within communities in Lord Howe and a boost to law and order for the people.
Kekou said it is understood the existence of RSIPF especially during this time to monitor the SI/PNG border at Lord Howe during this pandemic.
He said the focus of their task is rarely to deal with policing work within the atolls, rather to concentrate on monitoring and protecting the border.
However, Kekou said the officers have gone beyond it and continue to provide and support the communities of Pelau and Luaniua with police work which is really needed within the atoll.
He said as a result of their work it has made it possible for the recent court circuit trip to MOI and the provincial magistrate as its jurisdiction reached MOI, and are thankful for the RSIPF.
“If there’s no presence of police in Pelau, we won’t have the eight cases presided over in Luaniua and Pelau and we won’t even know whether the people need the service or not,” Kekou said.
He said the region of MOI under Malaita province continues to need policing work and the existence of the Pelau police post especially in Lord Howe is a boost to them.
Kekou has assured working together with Pelau police towards the final court circuit for MOI that will be on an arranged date prior to December 2021.
